The risks posed by biological threats are increasing, and biosecurity has risen higher on the international security agenda. Yet the lack of a common definition of biosecurity, the range of biological threats, and differences of opinion over the most important threats hinder the development of effective bioterrorism counterstrategies. A definition that includes naturally occurring, accidental, and deliberate disease outbreaks, combined with a taxonomy of threats that identifies the sources of and groups at risk for biological threats, would help policymakers assess and manage these risks, prevent and respond to biological threats, and further biosecurity research.

Koblentz examines the role of biological weapons on four other key areas of concern: proliferation, deterrence, civil-military relations, and threat assessment. Koblentz looks at the influence of secrecy in all four areas and offers the following insight: not only does secrecy hinder verification; it also weakens deterrence, impedes civilian oversight, and complicates threat assessments.

Since 1996, the federal government has been engaged in a large-scale effort to prepare for a potential terrorist attack in the United States with a weapon of mass destruction (WMD).